Democratic landslide inevitable in Norristown council races

NORRISTOWN ­­— The Norristown council general election in November is more of a coronation than an election contest for the Democratic slate because no Republican candidates are on the ballot.

Democratic incumbent Councilman Marlon Millner and Democrat Derrick Perry won their place in the Nov. 5 election for two at-large council seats in an election recount in late May. The recount was held because Millner and Perry each got 535 votes in the May primary election and former councilmember Olivia Brady received 533 votes.

In the at-large council field, Mao Howell received 368 votes and Sue Soriano received 366 votes. Both were eliminated.

In the May 24 recount, which lasted three hours, Millner received 538 votes, Perry had 536 votes and Brady had 534 votes.

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Millner is running for a second, four-year council term. He is a freelance communications professional who is also a Christian minister serving a congregation in Willow Grove as pastor.

Perry, a material handler at Arcelor Mittal Steel of Conshohocken, has lived his entire life in Norristown.

On July 30, the Norristown Democratic Committee picked Brady to run in a special election to finish the at-large election term of Dwayne Royster. Brady will serve on council until December 2015.

Brady served on council from 2000 to 2005. She served as council president in 2003 and vice president in 2002.

Cyril Burke Jr. was appointed by Norristown council on May 3 to fill Royster’s seat temporarily. Brady will take over the seat after she is elected.

In Ward 1, Democratic challenger Sonya Fisher Sanders defeated incumbent Councilwoman Mimi DeSouza in the primary election and is expected to be elected to council in November. Fisher Sanders is a project administrator at the Vanguard Group in Malvern. DeSouza, a clinical director at Merck & Co. in North Wales, was elected in 2011 to finish Mila Hayes’ four-year term on council.

In Ward 3, Councilwoman Linda Christian waged a successful write-in campaign in the primary election after her nominating papers were successfully challenged.

On election night, Christian received 200 write-in votes to 135 votes for Democratic challenger Eli Nogueda, the owner of Adelita’s Market. During the recount on May 24, Christian received 205 votes and Nogueda received 136 votes.